Full-time kindergarten benefits students

The benefit of allowing kindergarten students in Frenchmen’s Head to attend school full-time far out-weighed the costs, said principal James Rastel.
“These kids will be a year ahead of the other students,” he said. “They will receive a great head start.”
The students are part of the learning through play program, a full-time junior and senior kindergarten approved for the school.
“I read the literature that was available and everything (about full-time kindergarten) sounded positive.”
Because Lac Seul falls outside the provincial school system – which is trying out a similar program at schools across Ontario this fall – funding for the full-time kindergarten program in Lac Seul must come from within the school’s budget. Rastel said the school has had to “skimp” in other areas to make up for it, but it wouldn’t effect other students.
He said running the program hasn’t added much cost to the school, given most of the expenses would be paid regardless of whether the school offered part-time or full-time kindergarten.
“You need a minimum of two people to make the program successful,” Rastel said. “The teacher’s (assistant) and the teacher, these are your fixed costs. They would be in the school (either way). Really it is just the materials the students use that must be covered.”
Full-time kindergarten has been a great addition to the school, he said.
“It was a new experiment for the school but it has fit in well,” he said. “Everyone thought the students wouldn’t be engaged. But they are. They are showing things to the teacher, talking and sharing amongst themselves. They are working in a co-operative manner and completing manipulations. It is wonderful to watch the students in their classroom.”
Rastel admits he was a bit leery of such young students being in a classroom setting for the whole day.
“But seeing it in action, how well they can learn, I’m amazed at how well they are doing,” he said, adding he hopes the program carries on at the school.
He said full-time kindergarten is like a recipe and right now, the school has all the right ingredients.
“The key ingredients are a good teacher and teacher’s aide. The students, they need ingredients too. They need their snacks and exercise. The snacks are the fuel they need to learn and the exercise helps them expel extra energy. If any of the ingredients were missing, this wouldn’t work.”
Having observed other students who went through part-time kindergarten, Rastel said the current class seems more advanced.